Richard Carr has handed over new plans to build flats at the Pinewood Tower Rest Home in Poole

In September last year Poole councillors approved the demolition of the 14-bed Pinewood Tower Rest Home in Tower Road and granted outline permission for the three-storey block.

The new application concerns the design and layout of the scheme.

Five three-bed flats are proposed, along with seven two-bed flats and basement parking with 16 spaces accessed via a car lift.

The original scheme was deferred twice by the town's planning committee as members sought clarification on both new government guidance and new information submitted by applicant Fortitudo, where Mr Carr is a consultant.

Eventually the board agreed to approve the plans, despite their being recommended for refusal by council officers.

Planning officers had said the Poole Core Strategy urged against the loss of viable care homes, and that the applicant had failed to demonstrate that Pinewood Tower, which was still operational at that time, was unviable.

The home received a 'good' rating from the Care Quality Commission after its last inspection in May last year.

Poole council has approved the redevelopment of several former care home sites in the past two years.

A few days ago plans by Stonehaven Land Developments to convert the former Avalon Nursing Home in Pinewood Road into six flats and a semi-detached house were approved by officers under delegated powers.

A previous application to make the home into a house in multiple occupation was withdrawn in October last year.

In February last year permission was granted to develop 14 flats at a care home site in Bessborough Road.

The following month an application to convert Sandringham House Nursing Home into an HMO was rejected, but in November the home's demolition and replacement with two semi-detached homes was approved.